Juan José Balli. 1797 Legal Document Relating to a Lawsuit Over a
Mule....

Description

Juan José Balli. 1797 Legal Document Relating to a Lawsuit Over
a Mule. One and a half pages, 8" x 12.25", Spanish text,
Reynosa, April 5, 1797, with stamped and holography docketing,
paper slightly toned and with the usual old fold creases; else, a
fine document.

In his book Los Mesteños, Jack Jackson writes: "As close to
being 18th century cattle barons as anyone could be in this
territory that is now Texas... vast empires in the brusada country
between the Rio Nueces and the Rio Grande... perhaps none of these
dynasties was greater than one started by Juan José de
Hinojosa...". Juan José Balli was the son of José Maria Balli and
Rosa Hinojosa de Balli - the daughter of cattle baron Juan José de
Hinojosa and a "cattle queen" in her own right. Two of José and
Rosa's sons carried on the family ranching tradition and a third
was a priest, Padre Nicolás for whom Padre Island was named. In
this document, son Juan José Balli, in his capacity as Captain of
the Urban Militia and Chief Justice of Reynosa, provides
certification of a lawsuit brought by Pablo Ponce against Juan
Castaneda "for the value of a dun burro with one ear clipped and
carrying on the other ear a marker, which Castaneda sold to Ponce.
That Castaneda presented three witnesses on his behalf... Testimony
by them is that Castaneda had good title to the burro...". The
document is signed by Balli and two others.

This is an interesting and scarce document with lineage to the
early ranchers in south Texas. From the Taking of Texas
Collection.

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